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"Those who are not usually vulnerable then become vulnerable. There's a number of male predators who go into the night time economy to look for individuals who are drunk and vulnerable.

"It's really about safeguarding and increasing knowledge of individuals so they can help and better respond and try to prevent things happening in the first place."

A growing problem

In Gloucestershire there were 425 rapes and serious sexual assaults in 2015, and alcohol was a factor in 68 of these.

Of these 68 incidents of sexual violence, alcohol was a factor with only the victim 35 times, and with both parties 26 times. There were seven incidents when alcohol was a factor with only the offender.

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The number of rapes and sexual assaults have been increasing year on year since at least 2011, when there were 253 such incidents.

And the number of sexual violence incidents in the county in which alcohol was a factor has also increased year on year from a total of 30 in 2011.

How do you spot a sexual predator?

Mr Gazzard said sexual predators can act in a number of different ways.

But one example are individuals who arrive in late night venues later and watching for vulnerable people.

He said: "They stand in the background and they don't have a drink. They are looking around for vulnerable women who have had a little too much to drink - they may have been separated from their friends and they go and pick them up.